Pocket-knife



(No Mode1.\

G. W. MILLER.

POCKET KNIFE.

Nal-589,738. Patented Sept. 7,1897.-

UNITED xSraxrns arnivr rricn.

anonce W. MiLLnn., or iraniens, oonnnc'iico".

SPECIFIGATN forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,738, dated September *7, 1897.

Application led September 28, 1896. .Serial No. 607,245. (No model.) Y

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. MILLER, of Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Pocket-Knives; and l 'do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-- Figure l, a view in sideA elevation of a knife constructed in accordance with my invention 5 Fig. 2, a view thereof in transverse section on the line a b of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a view of the knife With one of the handle-plates removed; Fig. s, an enlarged broken view of one end of the knife with one of the handle-plates removed and showing the larger blade in its closed position; Fig. 5, a corresponding View showing the saine blade in its open position; Fig. il, a view in transverse section on the line c CZ of Fig. 3; Fig. 7, a similar view on the line cf of Fig. l; Fig. S, a broken view of one of the blades; Fig. il, a detached vieiv of one of the plates.

illy invention relates to an improvement in pocket-knives, the object being to produce a simple, compact, and convenient knife constructed with particular reference to ease of operation and to durability in use, which is attained by reducing the friction incident to openin g and closing the blades, Whether the same be cutting-blades or modified to form scissors, screw-drivers, button-hooks, corkscrews, iiles, or any of the other instrumentalities embodied in pocket-knives.

lilith these en ds in view my invention consists in a knife having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown a tWo-bladed knife, which has the same general appearance as an ordinary knife, and comprises two handle-plates A A', which may be of silver, steel, rubber, or any other material. employed in the formation of knife-handles. The knife also comprises tWo sheet-.steel frame-plates B and B', located inside of the respective handle-plates and conforming thereto in shape, and two blades C and C', of whichone is larger than the other, as is usual in two-bladed knives. The said handle-plates are secured at their ends to the frame-plates by means of rivets a a, of which there are two at cach end of the knife, as shown in Fig. 7. These rivets are short rivets and located in line with each other, but separated by a distance corresponding to the blade-space D of the knife, the said space extending throughout the length of the knife and being formed between the two frame-plates. Each of the frameplates is longitndinallycut away to form two spring-lingers B2 and B3, extending in opposite directions, having rounded or knuckleshaped outer ends, which are centrally pierced by pivot-holes I) and adapted by the spaces along theiropposite edges to be sprung edgewise in the plane of the plate. The pivotholes Zi, formed in the outer ends of these springs, receive the opposite ends of the knifeblade pivots E E'. Thus the ends of the pivot E pass through the pivot-holes b of the springs B2 of the respective `frame-plates, While the ends of the pivot E pass through the pivotholes Z2 of ,the springs B3 B3 of the said plates.

The tangsfC12 ofV the knife-blades C and C are alike, and therefore only one of them is shown, that being the tang of the blade C. The heels of the tangs C2 of the blades are formed with pivot-holes C-3 for the reception of the pivots E and'Fj, With segmental bearing-surfaces G4, concentric with the pivotholes C3, and with tivo locking-notches C5 and C, of which the latter is deeper than the former. The said notches are located opposite each other in a line slightly inclined to the longitudinal axis of the blade. The bearing edges C1L and notches C5 and C coact with antifriction-rolls F F, respectively, located near the ends of the knife, mounted upon pivots FF', extending through suitable perforations formed for them near the ends of the handle and frame-plates. The construction of the parts is such that normally the blade-springs B2 and B3 of the two frameplates are not under tension. Thus when the blade C is in its closed position, as shown in Fig. 4C, the antifriction-rollF is entered into its locking-notch C5, with which it coacts to hold the blade shut, while when the blade is open the said antifriction-roll is entered into IOO its notch C, with which it coacts to hold the blade open. lVhen, however, the blade is seized and its opening movement begun, the inner shoulder of the notch C5 is impinged against the antifriction-roll, which, being mounted upon an unyielding pin, does not move, but causes the two blade-springs B2 B2, carrying the pivot E and hence the blade C, to be sprung so as to permit the roll to ride out of the notch C5 and upon the bearing edge C, on which it will turn as the blade is drawn round nearly to its open position, the said springs being all this time under tension, but the friction of the operation of the knife being reduced to the minimuni'by the roll. Then when the roll drops off the inner shoulder of and into the notch C6 of the blade, lthe two springs B2 B2 reassert themselves to return to their normal position, which they at once do, automatically throwing the blade into its full-open position and maintaining it therein until it is manually closed. The beginning of the closing movement of the blade requires the exertion of sufiieient force to crowd the inner shoulder of the notch C( against the antifriction-roll to eifect the springing of the springs B2 B2 sufficiently to permit the roll to ride out of the said notch, after which it rolls over the bearing edge C'1 until the blade is nearly in its shut posi-tion, when the roll passes over the linnei' shoulder of and into the notch C5, and then the springs reassert themselves, and in returning to their normal positions automatically complete the closing of the blade. The construction and operation of the blade C being identical with the construction and operation of the blade C, it is of courseunnecessarytospeakfurther of the blade C.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the antifriction-rolls reduce the friction and operation of the blades to the minimum, and hence prolong greatly the proper action of the knife, for i-t is well known that in ordi nary knives in which the blade-springs come in d-irect contact with the heels of the bladetangs the cornersof the heels soon wear away, after which the blades will neither be held in their fully-open or fully-closed positions.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein. shown, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention. Thus I may employ my invention in connection with knives provided with one or more convenient tools, including a file, buttonhook, and other instru-mentalities before rcferred to. Incase a plurality of such devices are employed the number of frameplates in the knife would have to be increased, as they would also if the knife were provided with more than two blades.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Lerters Patent, is-

I. A knife having a metal frame-plate constructed to form a longitudinally-arranged spring yielding edgewise in the plane of the plate, a knife-blade having its tang pivotally connected with the outer end of the said spring, and an autifriction-roll coacting with the tang of the blade which yields or moves with the spring under the action of the roll which places the spring under tension.

2. A knife having two frame-plates, each longitudinally cut away to form a spring adapted to yield edgewise in the plane of the plate, a knife-blade having its tang secured to the said springs by means of a pivot passing through it and into the ends of the springs, and an antifriction-roll with which the heer of the tang of the blade coacts and which places the springs under tension.

3. A knife having two frame-plates, each cut away to form two springs extending in opposite directions, and yielding edgewise in the plane of the plate, and having theirouter ends pierced to form pivot-holes, knife-blades pivotal'ly hung in the outer ends of the said springs, the pivot of each blade passing into a spring of each plate, and two antifrictionrolls mounted between the pla-tes in position to be engaged by the heels of the fangs of the blades, the said rolls placing the springs under tension and eoacting therewith to firmly hold the blades in their open and shut positions.

4. A knife having the tang of its blade formed with two notches, and with a curved bearingsurface located between the said notches, a yielding spring to which the said blade is pivoted, and an antifriction-roil mounted upon a stationary pivot and coacting with the said bearing-surface and notches for holding the blade in its open and shut positions and reduci-ng the friction of its action.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib ing witnesses.

GEO. lV. MILLER.

lVitnesses:

GEORGE D. SEYMOUR, LILLIAN D. KELsEY. 

